Energy operator Yemen LNG said in a statement issued on Sunday that the explosion was carried out during the late hours of on Saturday.

“Yemen LNG confirms the sabotage of the 38-inch gas pipeline that links the block 18 to the Balhaf terminal on the Gulf of Aden,” the statement said without giving details on possible casualties.The attackers “placed an explosive charge at pipeline level” and caused a shutdown, a Yemeni official said on condition of anonymity. Yemen’s oil and gas pipelines have been repeatedly sabotaged in recent months[3]. Armed groups targeted gas pipelines feeding the Balhaf terminal in October, September, August, May and March this year. Yemen’s economy depends on oil and gas production, with petroleum exports accounting for more than 60 percent of the country’s budget.